Regional Focal Point for Humanitarian Programming

Job Posting Organization:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Established to save, protect, and transform lives in need, CRS operates in more than 100 countries, focusing on various sectors including emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. The organization is committed to improving the lives of the poor and vulnerable, regardless of race, religion, or nationality. CRS fosters a collaborative, mission-driven culture and welcomes individuals from all faiths and secular traditions who share its values. The agency is dedicated to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation, and its processes reflect this commitment. CRS also emphasizes the importance of hiring candidates from the regions in which it operates, ensuring that its workforce is representative of the communities it serves.

Job Overview:
The Regional Focal Point for Humanitarian Programming in LACRO is a pivotal role that involves providing and coordinating technical advice and strategic leadership for CRS’ humanitarian programming across the Latin America and Caribbean Region. This position is integral to the implementation of CRS’ global humanitarian programming strategy, focusing on enhancing the capacity of regional and country teams as well as local and national partners. The role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, including emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience, ensuring that all programming aligns with agency quality principles, donor guidelines, and industry best practices. The Regional Focal Point will also play a crucial role in fostering effective partnerships with donors, governments, and other stakeholders, promoting a cross-sectoral approach that integrates gender considerations and disaster risk reduction into all humanitarian efforts. This position requires a proactive approach to identifying strategic growth opportunities and ensuring high-quality implementation and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of humanitarian programs.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the Regional Focal Point for Humanitarian Programming include:

• Supporting region and country teams in adapting and implementing agency strategies, standards, tools, and best practices in humanitarian programming, including emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience.
• Promoting effective engagement with partners, donors, and governments to ensure collaborative efforts in humanitarian programming.
• Contributing to the development and implementation of global strategies and tools for humanitarian programming by documenting and sharing lessons learned from LACRO.
• Overseeing and leading capacity strengthening initiatives for humanitarian programming for regional and country teams and partners.
• Developing learning and training strategies, organizing trainings, workshops, and conferences, and providing mentoring and coaching for staff.
• Coordinating technical guidance in proposal development and project design to ensure technical excellence.
• Promoting high-quality implementation and M&E for humanitarian programs by providing technical solutions for country and regional teams.
• Supporting country programs in appropriately staffing project teams.
• Contributing to the agency's knowledge management and learning agenda in humanitarian programming. 1
• Representing CRS in regional forums to enhance collaboration and shared learning in humanitarian programming. 1
• Networking with relevant organizations to increase CRS’ profile and influence in the humanitarian community. 1
• Assuming temporary leadership roles in proposal development or program management as needed.

Required Qualifications:
The required qualifications for the Regional Focal Point for Humanitarian Programming include:

• A Bachelor’s degree in international development, International Relations, or a relevant technical area.
• A minimum of ten years of work experience in humanitarian programming with progressive responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO.
• At least three years of overseas experience in multiple regions as a technical advisor and/or program manager in humanitarian programming.
• Fluency in English and Spanish is required.
• Strong understanding and application of technical principles and concepts in humanitarian programming, including experience in developing curricula and tools to support humanitarian interventions.
• Demonstrated experience in training, mentoring, and knowledge transfer to diverse audiences.
• Proficiency in MS Office packages and strong understanding of information and budget management systems.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a Bachelor’s degree in international development, International Relations, or a relevant technical area. A Master’s degree is preferred and considered a plus, as well as any technical or academic publications that demonstrate expertise in the field.

Experience:
Candidates should possess a minimum of ten years of work experience in humanitarian programming, with a focus on progressive responsibilities. This experience should ideally be gained within an international NGO context, including at least three years of overseas experience in multiple regions as a technical advisor and/or program manager in humanitarian programming.

Languages:
Fluency in English and Spanish is mandatory for this position. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered advantageous but is not explicitly required.

Additional Notes:
This position may involve supervisory responsibilities and requires the candidate to be willing and able to travel up to 50%. CRS offers a comprehensive benefits package for U.S.-based staff, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan. For candidates employed outside the U.S., benefits packages are based on the country of employment. The anticipated duration of the assignment for expatriates is informed by a term limit based on the job type and level, as well as the agency's needs. CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants and staff from all forms of exploitation and abuse, and the successful candidate is expected to adhere to CRS’ Code of Conduct.